Valentine's Day at Titan's Tower
by franki K
Summary: Everyone's having trouble with their own Valentine's Day plans: Star can't get Robin interested, BB can't get up the nerve to give his gift to Raven, and Cyborg just can't get a date! And, on top of it all, a villain known as the Anti-Cupid arrives!


Valentine's Day at Titan's Tower

* * *

><p>"Titans!" comes Cyborg's voice over the team's communicators. "We got a problem!"<p>

Robin leaps off the uneven bars in mid-swing. Starfire shoves the remainder of her Zorka Berry Tart in her mouth and mumbles an apology to Silkie for cutting their Broom Closet Picnic short. Raven considers ignoring the call to continue her meditation, but begrudgingly decides against it. Beast Boy, who was busy posing in front of the mirror in his new polka-heart boxers, turns red and struggles to get his suit back on.

All convened in the front room.

"What is it?" Robin demands, already springing into combat position.

"What is wrong?" Starfire taps her knuckles together in anticipation.

"You wanna know what's wrong?" Cyborg points at the large screen, which has a digital calendar with a blinking red 14 circled and highlighted. "What's wrong is, tomorrow's Valentine's Day - and I don't have a _date_!"

Robin's hands fall from their karate pose. "_That's_ what you called us in for?"

"I feel ya, dude," Beast Boy says. "If you want, I could drop you a couple names from my extensive little black book!"

"I, too, sympathize with your plight. Loneliness is never enjoyable... But what is this Day of Valentines? I have heard much about it recently."

Raven folds her arms. "It's a stupid, pathetic holliday, thought up by idiotic, mainstream moguls to force the strong and single of the world to give up their independance for the sake of a relationship status and a bunch of plants that had to die to bring fleating happiness to the masses. You should count yourself lucky, Cyborg." She stalks away, shoving Beast Boy aside as she goes.

After Raven is gone, Starfire looks at the others. "That was the first time she spoke in weeks... This _must_ be a wonderful holliday!" She grabs Robin by the arm. "Please, I wish to know more!"

Robin turns red under his mask. "I- I've gotta go train." He pulls his arm from Star's grasp and heads back to the gym. Starfire hangs her head in disappointment. Beast Boy fiddles around in his pockets and retrieves his video rental card.

"Here." He hands the card to Starfire. "Check out some Chick Flicks. They'll tell you everything you wanna know about V-Day."

Starfire squeeks, and flies off to Jump City Video.

"And you!" Beast Boy whirls on Cyborg. "If you're so desperate for a date, why not just go online! I'm sure there are loads of babes twice as desperate as you!"

"Hey, who said I'm desperate? The Cy-Man doesn't _get_ desperate."

"Dude? You just called for backup on a dating emergency."

Cyborg's face falls. "I _am_ desperate."

"So... Go hit ! What are you waiting for?"

"Right. I better get my prophile ready." Cyborg skulks away.

Beast Boy puts his hands on his hips and thrusts out his chest. "I'm on fire, today! Real Casinova. I am the V-Day _King!_"

He looks around at the suddenly empty room, and pulls out a wrinkled card that looks like it's been riding in his pocket since December. Written on the envelope in blue Sharpie is "Raven."

"Yup, the V-Day King. The Love Master. No romantic delima is too much for me. I am the _real_ frog prince!" And, croaking to prove it, he looks up from his card and finds himself at Raven's door. Holding the card with both hands, he doesn't move, but for the drop of sweat and blush. At the last second he gives up, and puts the card back in his pocket. "Or maybe I'm just the frog." He shifts into a toad and leaps on down the corridor.

The door opens and Raven sticks her head out. "Beast Boy, you know I can sense you hovering by my-" She looks around the empty hall. "Oh. Okay." She retreats back into the dark room.

XOXOXOXOXO

Starfire stares at the screen in amazement, Zorka Berry Tart half-chewed in her hanging mouth. In her arms, Silkie looks bored.

"I don't know many things, Becky... But I do know... I love you."

"Oh, Steve! Do you really love me?"

"More than all the ping-pong/poker nights in the world!"

"But... You're married to my sister Sally!"

"And you're engaged to my cousin Blake. But our love can overcome all other loves."

"Oh, Steve!"

"Oh, Becky!"

The music swells over the kiss, as Starfire hugs Silkie. "This Valentine's Holliday is wonderful! A day completely dedicated to love and chocolate and kissing! It is the best creation by the Mainstream Moguls ever! Wouldn't you agree, Robin?"

Beside her, Robin has long since fallen asleep.

XOXOXOXOXO

Cyborg sits before the Tower Supercomputer, with his latest upgrade chip for extreme speed installed. He types his commands with a desperate fury. Finally, his work and toil has come to fruition.

LuvMachine779

MALE. BROWN EYES, NO HAIR, 6' 5". LIKES: Food, video games, working on car, food, fighting crime. LOOKING FOR: FEMALE, Strong, brave, attractive, smart, likes food, attractive.

TOP SEARCH RESULT: SweetHonEy43

MESSAGE: SweetHonEy43 to LuvMachine779: Wanna meet up 2morro? Say, Chez Parez, 8:00?

MESSAGE: LuvMachine779 to SweetHonEy43: You know it!

XOXOXOXOXO

Valentine's Day is suddenly here, and things are not going quite according to plan.

Starfire has just about given up on her attempts to let Robin woo her, like the women in her movies. Beast Boy tries several times to knock on Raven's door and give her the card, but literally chickens out each time. Cyborg finally has a date, but nothing to wear.

And, on top of it all, a new villain calling himself the Anti-Cupid is attacking couples at Chez Parez.

The team all arrives just on time on the scene (except for Raven, who is late).

"Titans! Go!" Robin cries, dodging a black arrow.

Cyborg blasts him, but his black wings absorb the blast, and reflect them back to the shooter.

"Really, son, that was pathetic!" Anti-Cupid jeers.

"Perhaps I will perform more to your liking! Yaah!" Starfire's starbolt sends him hurtling to the ground.

Anti-Cupid twists his head with a loud _Crunch!_ "You know, my ex-girlfriend was a lot like you... She was a pain in the neck, too!"

An arrow shot from Anti-Cupid's arm hits Starfire in the leg. "Aaahh!" She falls into a couple's feast, crumples into the salad, and sobs.

"Starfire!" Robin runs to her, but she turns and refuses to look at him.

"Oh, she won't want you, anymore, Boy! She's been hit with one of my Broken-Heart Darts!"

"No!"

"Yes! And now she will feel what I felt, so many Valentine's ago. Broken emptiness, and at the mercy of Love's cruelty. Now, she completely denies love."

"Wanna hear about cruel love?" Raven entered the picture, projecting a large, blacker-than-usual cloud of energy around Anti-Cupid, lifting him high in the air. "My first and only boyfriend was a dragon dark wizard bent on world-domination, who, once he got what he wanted from me, dumped me _and_ tried to kill me!" As she speaks, the field gets smaller and smaller, with Anti-Cupid collapsing inside the shrinking prison.

Beast Boy shouted at the levitating figure, "Raven, pull back! You're gonna kill him!"

"He should've known better than to get me outside on Valentine's Day."

"Rae, please!"

She looks down at the green boy for a moment, then begrudgingly pulls the field. Anti-Cupid drops, coughing. Raven's eyes continue glowing.

"Thank you for that act of compassion," Anti-Cupid said, "Forgive me for not returning the favor!" He raises his arm and shoots an arrow straight into Raven's Heart.

Her limp body hits the ground with a _Thud!_

"Raven!" the unaffected team members cry in unison, as Beast Boy runs to her side. "No, nononono, you can't be dead! Not like this! You can't be!" He holds her in is arms as tears squeeze through his tightly shut eyes.

There is a cocophany of noises as Robin and Cyborg fight with Anti-Cupid, and Starfire loudly sobs, as well as the panic sounds of the general public. But Beast Boy only hears the sound of his own heart as it pounds in his ears.

He leaps up and runs toward Anti-Cupid. "No way, she's gonna be killed by some dude in a diper!" And in a flash, he transforms into the Beast, and has the villain pinned against the wall, claws digging into his throat.

"Beast Boy!" Robin and Cyborg run to pull him off. "Stop!" They are both easily brushed off, and he continues with his mauling.

Suddenly, the Beast is enveloped in a black energy and lifted off the Anti-Cupid, who immediately runs to Robin and Cyborg, ready to go to jail. The surprised Beast loses his determined fury, and he is left limp and confused.

So is everyone else, after seeing not-dead Raven, still with the dart in her chest, pulling Beast Boy from a battle against a man who almost killed her. And then more confusion ensues.

Before he even transforms back into himself, Raven tackles Best-Beast, fur and all, and kisses him. In the middle of this kiss, Beast Boy melts back into himself, and into Raven.

Eventually, Raven releases Beast Boy (much to his dismay) for a moment to take a breath.

"Hold up," Cyborg stops the next round. "What is going on, here?" He pulls the dart off Raven's chest. "I thought these things were suppose to make you fall _out_ of love."

Robin took the dart from Cyborg and stared at it intently, then at Starfire, who was still quivering in the pasta. "He said they make you _deny_ love. Raven already denied love, so the dart had the reverse effect on her."

"Wait a second!" Beast Boy rubs the back of his neck. "That means she was denying love... for _me_?"

"Either that, or you were just an innocent bystander." Cyborg retorts. "Which is it, Rae?"

Raven smiles, but does not speak. Only puts her arms around Beast Boy's neck.

"Hey, I'm cool with whatever."

"Maybe," Robin continues, without hearing, "if we give Starfire another dose, the same inverse effect will happen, and she'll return to normal..."

"Okay, but can we leave Raven the way she is now? I kinda like her this way."

"Didn't you _already_ kinda like her the other way?" Cyborg teases.

"Dude!"

"Robin!" Starfire cries as the second dart reverts her system. "My hero!" And she immediately falls over, snoring.

"Okay, Raven, your turn." Robin approaches with the dart.

"Come on, dude! She's so cool, now! And quiet!"

"But Beast Boy, do you really want her like this? Against her will?"

He smiles through a kiss. "She seems pretty willfull to me."

Robin gives him the glare he'd learned from the best.

"Alright, fine!" The dart is stuck into her arm. "But one more, before she's gone." He kisses her one more time. She closes her eyes and returns it. About halfway through, though, her eyes shoot back open, and she shoves Beast Boy away.

"You. Are. Dead! Do you hear me? You're de-" She falls back into his arms, lightly snoring.

XOXOXOXOXO

Cyborg stays at Chez Parez (which is fairly well trashed, after the battle) to collect his reservation, and his blind online date. As he waits at the tiny table, a familliar face walks in.

"Woah, what's Bee doin' here?"

Bumble Bee walks to the host's desk with a look of awkwardness he'd never seen in her, before. He doesn't see why she would feel that way, though. She was the most beautiful tonight he'd ever seen her, and for a moment, he is disappointed he's there for some mystery woman, rather than Bee... Just what is she doing in Jump City, anyway?

The host gestures to Cyborg's table. Their eyes meet for a second, and Bumble Bee turns and walks out.

Oh, no.

He _is_ here for her!

Cyborg runs out of the restaurant after her.

"Wait! Bee! What's up?"

She turns on him. "Please, do _not_ tell me you are LuvMachine779!"

"Only if you say you're not SweetHonEy43."

"Aw, man! Why'd it have to be _you_?"

"What do you mean? What's wrong with me?"

"I'm sure your team asks that all the time."

"Did I do something to tick you off, recently?"

"No, Sparky, it's nothing against you. I just... Well, I'm just not good at the whole _dating_ thing. Wings and sporatic shrinking tend to put a guy off... I wanted to start fresh, with someone I didn't know. And in a whole city of people I don't know, I just had to get matched up with one I do!"

"Well, if it's any consolation, I get the whole dating problem... I mean, I was looking... Online... for a date... The day before Valentine's Day. How wrong is that?"

She laughs. "So. Now what?"

"Well, it is Valentine's Day. And I do have a reservation. We could just hang out, eat, and enjoy each other's company."

"Hmm... We could... Or, we could go play some video games, and I'll kick your but at SpaceRace5000."

"Oh, you're on! But it's fair to warn ya, you're goin' _down!_ I don't just let ladies win."

"What a gentleman! And I think I should warn _you_, I don't need _anyone_ to let me win!"

XOXOXOXOXO

In the dark, Starfire watches _Steve and Becky Take On Love 2_ again. She sighs and pets a sleeping Silkie.

"But... You're married to my sister Sally!"

"And you're engaged to my cousin Blake. But our love can overcome all other loves."

"Oh, Steve!"

"Oh, Becky!"

The lights flick on and startle Silkie. Robin stands behind the sofa. Starfire, unenthusiastically looks at him.

"You know, Star, with everything going on, I almost forgot what today was. Happy Valentine's Day."

Robin dangles a red bear with a shovel and a hardhat in front of her face, with the words "Be Mined" stitched on its belly.

Starfire squeels and hugs the bear. "Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou Robin!"

"Uh, sure... No problem." He jumps onto the couch beside her. "So, what are we watching?"

XOXOXOXOXO

"Come on, Beast Boy, you can do this. It's just a card, not a ring, and you already know how she feels..." He raises his hand to knock. "But what if I was just an innocent bystander, and she really doesn't feel that way?" He clutches the card. "Come on, dude, be a man! It doesn't mean anything, it's just a door- er, card! Just a card!" He takes a steadying breath. "You can do this. You can _do_ this."

"Just knock, already!" Raven shouted from the other side of the door.

"Uh, Raven?" He knocks.

"Go away, I'm not home."

"Oh. Okay."

The door opens. "Beast Boy, I was joking."

"_You_ were joking? About wanting to be alone?"

"I'm in a good mood."

"Oh... Well, should I come back later, when you're more yourself?"

"I will be right now, if you don't get to the point, soon."

"Right. Well. I wanted to give you... This... Sorry it's all crumpled. I've been holding onto it since New Year's."

Raven opens the envelope. On the front of the card is a purple fingerprint with a happy face, "No Particular Raisin." Inside, it said, "Just Because You're Grape!"

Written beneath that, in blue Sharpie, is, _Rae- Thanks for being the coolest person I know. -B.B._

Raven smiles. "Thanks."

"Sure." Beast Boy starts to leave.

"Hey, Beast Boy?"

He stops. "Yeah?"

"You... wanna hang out for a bit? I have a book on Mideval pranks."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Cool."

XOXOXOXOXO

This Valentine's day, I come home from my date, and find a message in my inbox:

_HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, FROM THE TEEN TITANS_


End file.
